Lake George Fire Chief: ‘We need a new aerial truck’

LAKE GEORGE — Officials of Lake George Fire Dept. have asked the village board to buy a new fire truck with a 100-foot ladder — apparatus that costs nearly $1 million — and the municipal leaders are now considering the request.

In a presentation to board members Aug. 15, Lake George Fire Chief Jason Berry described how the village’s present 1995 aerial tower fire truck with a 70-foot ladder had deteriorated, and a new one with a taller reach was needed.

Berry requested that the board authorize purchase of a current model that he and other fire department officers recommend: a demonstrator aerial truck that costs $955,000, or about $145,000 less than the price of a new model. The demonstrator, however, is outfitted with hoses and other firefighting equipment, unlike the factory-fresh models.

Berry detailed the deteriorated condition of the department’s 1995 tower truck, which has been out of service for about six weeks.

He predicted that repairing the village’s tower truck to get it back in service would cost at least $32,000 to $41,000. He said that if it were repaired, the village’s investment in rehabilitating it would exceed $84,000.

He estimated that the 1995 truck, with minimal repairs, would have a trade-in value of $40,000 to $50,000 — but in its present condition, would garner only $10,000.

“Dumping more money into the current aerial truck would be pointless,” Berry said.

He urged that the village take action as soon as possible, as this new demonstrator truck might be sold soon. Board members talked about how while a public vote through a permissive referendum might be required for such a purchase, it could perhaps be acquired sooner through a resolution citing an emergency.

Village Mayor Robert Blais said such a procedure might delay or prevent bonding the vehicle.

“Ideally, we’d put the truck out to bid,” he said. “We just bought two fire trucks last year.”

Berry replied that a lease-purchase agreement might circumvent the need for a permissive referendum.

Berry said that purchasing a 100-foot aerial ladder truck was appropriate, considering the half-dozen recent multi-story developments in town, including the soon-to-open Lake George Marriott Courtyard Hotel and the recently reconstructed Surfside Motel.

“Buildings of 35 feet or higher dictate using a 100-foot tower truck,” Berry said, adding that future structures throughout the village and town of Lake George were likely to be taller than existing buildings.

Also, Berry said that having a fire truck with a 100-foot ladder on duty locally would lower insurance premiums through the village. He cited how commercial property owners in Killington Vt. collectively saved $1 million in insurance premiums annually with the local fire company owning a 100-foot ladder truck.

He warned that for every year the village waits to purchase a new truck, the cost escalates $100,000 to $200,000.

Berry talked of how in August 2010, the village’s aerial truck was vital in fighting a fire that caused substantial damage in a two-story building in a central block of Canada St., the village’s main thoroughfare.

Berry also talked of how the aerial truck’s ability to extend its ladder laterally was as important as reaching heights, noting a recent incident in which a vehicle plunged down an 80 embankment.

The fire chief praised the terms of the proposed purchase, saying the truck could be purchased with a down payment of $150,000, and 12 annual payments of $81,483 starting in July 2018 — carrying an interest rate of 2.74 percent.

The tower truck, covered by a full extensive warranty, could be delivered in two weeks, he said.

Blais responded that while purchasing a new truck is important to protect public safety, such a substantial purchase should be fully evaluated — and the town of Lake George should be consulted, since the town would be paying 77 percent of the cost.

“We shouldn’t rush this, but we should keep on pursuing this,” he said. “The main thing is, we need it and we should make a decision soon.”

A public meeting of town officials on this issue is expected within the next few weeks.